The present invention relates to dropdown access doors, and in particular to feed doors and related door fabrication methods for animal transport vehicles and the like.
Animal transport vehicles, such as trailers and the like, are equipped for transporting horses and other large animals, and frequently have operable windows. Such windows can be opened to allow ventilation of the interior of the trailer or closed during inclement weather. The windows can be located in a dropdown door that pivots open about a bottom hinge mechanism, such as those known in the trade as feed doors. Such doors may be opened or closed by moving a slide from an unlatched to a latched position when a user moves an associated latch actuator.
In many feed doors, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,412, the latch actuator is not integrated into the window assembly, but rather is mounted separately in the feed door. Such constructions normally require routing latch mechanics through the interior of the door, which results in increased fabrication cost and complexity, and typically provide limited latching configurations and application options.
Furthermore, it is desirable to provide the latch actuator in a position that can be easily reached and actuated by the animal trainer, handler or other similar personnel. Oftentimes, the latch actuator is located at a position toward the top of the window, requiring either a tall person or a person of normal height standing on a stool to reach and actuate the latch actuator so that the door can be opened.
Accordingly, a door actuator that is integrated into the window assembly, and can be mounted on the window of the feed door of the horse trailer in various easy-to-reach positions, is desirable, and would represent a significant advancement in the art of animal transport vehicles.